Tray table apparatus

ABSTRACT

A tray table apparatus including a tray table and a tray table support assembly coupled to the tray table. The tray table and the tray table support assembly are configured to transition between a stowed position and a deployed position. The tray table support assembly includes: a support shelf; a support arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the support shelf so as to be pivotable about a first pivot axis and a second end, the tray table pivotably coupled to the second end of the support arm so as to be pivotable about a tray table pivot axis; and an adjustable pivot stop positioned to limit pivot movement of the support arm about the first pivot axis in the deployed position, such that a selected adjustment position of the adjustable pivot stop determines an angle of inclination formed between the support arm and the support shelf.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/026,062, filed Jul. 18, 2014, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the present invention relates to tray tables, such as traytables which may extend out over a bed for use as an in-bed table andmay retract when not being used.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Tray tables for use in the bed are common, and for people who choose orneed to eat, read, or work in bed, having a bedside tray table thatextends out over the bed when needed and stows out of the way is anindispensable convenience. Such stowable tray tables are known in theart, however they often are attached to limitations that turn their useinto a frustrating convenience. For example, some stowable tray tableshave too many degrees of freedom, such as is seen in the tray tabledisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,220,578, as all the degrees of freedom makethe tray table too easily bumped out of the position in which it is set.Others have more limited degrees of freedom, but some of those degreesof freedom are not easy to use for a person who is lying in the bed andneeds to adjust the position of the bed tray, such as the tray tabledisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,054,122.

For a person who is lying in bed, having a tray table with limiteddegrees of freedom is acceptable when the degrees of freedom providedmake the tray table easy to use for a person lying in the bed and at thesame time provide a sufficiently stable platform which may be used andnot too easily bumped out of position. It is therefore desirable that astowable tray table for use in the bed meet a balance between usabilityand stability. At the same time, another desirable feature for somestowable tray tables is that they can be stowed entirely out of sightwhen not in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed toward a tray table apparatus whichincludes a tray table which is movable between a stowed position to adeployed position. When not in use, the tray table may be stowed out ofthe way in the stowed position. The stowable tray table is made to beparticularly easy to use by a person lying in a bed. When in use, thetray table provides adjustment mechanisms by which a person may easilyadjust at least two degrees of freedom: the height of the tray tableabove another surface, such as a bed, and the lateral position of thetray table between, such as between the head and foot of a bed.

In a first separate aspect of the present invention, a tray tableapparatus includes: a tray table; and a tray table support assemblycoupled to the tray table, the tray table and the tray table supportassembly configured to transition between a stowed position and adeployed position. The tray table support assembly includes: a supportshelf; a support arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the supportshelf so as to be pivotable about a first pivot axis and a second end,the tray table pivotably coupled to the second end of the support arm soas to be pivotable about a tray table pivot axis; and an adjustablepivot stop positioned to limit pivot movement of the support arm aboutthe first pivot axis in the deployed position, such that a selectedadjustment position of the adjustable pivot stop determines an angle ofinclination formed between the support arm and the support shelf.

In a second separate aspect of the present invention, a tray tableapparatus includes: a tray table; and a tray table support assemblycoupled to the tray table, the tray table and the tray table supportassembly configured to transition between a stowed position and adeployed position. The tray table support assembly includes: a supportshelf; and a support arm, the support arm having a first end pivotablycoupled to the support shelf so as to be pivotable about a first pivotaxis and a second end, the tray table pivotably coupled to the secondend of the support arm so as to be pivotable about a tray table pivotaxis and translatable, relative to the support arm, in a directionparallel to the tray table pivot axis.

In a third separate aspect of the present invention, a tray tableapparatus includes: a tray table having a first end and a second end;and a tray table support assembly coupled to the tray table, the traytable and the tray table support assembly being configured to transitionbetween a stowed position and a deployed position. The tray tablesupport assembly includes: a support shelf; a support arm having a firstend pivotably coupled to the support shelf so as to be pivotable about afirst pivot axis and a second end, the first end of the tray tablepivotably coupled to the second end of the support arm so as to bepivotable about a tray table pivot axis; and a support leg pivotablycoupled to the tray table adjacent the second end of the tray table, thesupport leg configured to be adjustable in length.

In a fourth separate aspect of the present invention, a tray tableapparatus includes: a support structure; a tray table; and a tray tablesupport assembly coupled to the tray table and mounted to the supportstructure, the tray table and the tray table support assembly configuredto transition between a stowed position and a deployed position. Thetray table support assembly includes: a support shelf having a first endand a second end opposite the first end; and a support arm having afirst end and a second end, the tray table pivotably coupled to thesecond end of the support arm so as to be pivotable about a tray tablepivot axis. The support arm is alterable between: (1) a first state inwhich the first end of the support arm is pivotably coupled to thesupport shelf so as to be pivotable about a first pivot axis between afirst folded position in which the support arm lies atop the supportshelf and a first unfolded position in which the support arm extends ina first inclined orientation such that the second end of the support armis located laterally beyond the first edge of the support shelf; and (2)a second state in which the first end of the support arm is pivotablycoupled to the support shelf so as to be pivotable about a second pivotaxis between a second folded position in which the support arm lies atopthe support shelf and a second unfolded position in which the supportarm extends in a second inclined orientation such that the second end ofthe support arm is located laterally beyond the second edge of thesupport shelf.

In a fifth separate embodiment of the present invention, a tray tableapparatus includes: a tray table having a first end and a second end; atelescoping leg pivotably affixed adjacent the second end of the traytable; a handle affixed to the second end of the tray table; and a traytable support assembly coupled to the tray table, the tray table and thetray table support assembly configured to transition between a stowedposition and a deployed position. The tray table support assemblyincludes: a support shelf having a lateral centerline, a first pivotaxis, and a second pivot axis, with the first pivot axis and the secondpivot axis being symmetrical to each other with respect to the lateralcenterline; a support arm including at least one first pivot memberpivotably coupled to the support shelf along one of the first pivot axisand the second pivot axis, and a second pivot member pivotably coupledadjacent to the first end of the tray table; an adjustable pivot stoppositioned to limit pivot movement of the support arm with respect tothe support shelf in the deployed position, such that an adjustmentposition of the adjustable pivot stop determines a height of the traytable in the deployed position; a pivot block pivotably coupling thesecond pivot member of the support arm to the tray table, wherein thepivot block is configured to be slidable along a longitudinal axis ofthe second pivot member; and a support leg pivotably coupled to the traytable adjacent the second end, the support leg being configured to beadjustable in length.

Accordingly, an improved tray table apparatus having a stowable traytable is disclosed. Advantages of the improvements will be apparent fromthe drawings and the description of the preferred embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description ofthe exemplary embodiments, will be better understood when read inconjunction with the appended drawings. It should be understood,however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown in the following figures:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a tray tableapparatus, coupled to a night table, having a stowable tray table shownin the deployed position over a bed;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tray table apparatus of FIG. 1 withthe tray table in the stowed position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tray table apparatus of FIG. 1 withthe upper storage compartment of the night stand open so that the traytable may be transitioned from the stowed position to the deployedposition;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tray table apparatus of FIG. 1 withthe tray table in an intermediate position between the stowed positionand the deployed position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the tray table apparatus of FIG. 1 withthe tray table in the deployed position;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of the tray table supportassembly of the tray table apparatus of FIG. 1, showing the adjustablepivot stop;

FIG. 7 is an elevation view of the bottom of the tray table of the traytable apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the pivot block along the line VIII-VIIIof FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an elevation view of the support leg for the tray table of thetray table apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the handle for the tray table of thetray table apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11A is a perspective view of the tray table apparatus of FIG. 1showing the reconfigurability of the tray table apparatus;

FIG. 11B is a top elevation view of the support shelf for the tray tableapparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a tray tableapparatus having a stowable tray table; and

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the tray table support assembly along theline XII-XII of FIG. 12, showing the adjustable pivot stop.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles ofthe present invention is intended to be read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entirewritten description. In the description of embodiments of the inventiondisclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merelyintended for convenience of description and is not intended in any wayto limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as“lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,”“down,” “left,” “right,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivativesthereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should beconstrued to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown inthe drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenienceof description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructedor operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated assuch. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,”“interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structuresare secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectlythrough intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigidattachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated byreference to the preferred embodiments. Accordingly, the inventionexpressly should not be limited to such preferred embodimentsillustrating some possible non-limiting combinations of features thatmay exist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of theinvention being defined by the claims appended hereto.

As used herein, the term “night table” refers to any furniture that maybe placed and/or used next to a bed. By way of example, a night tablemay be a free-standing piece of furniture having one or more storagecompartments, such as a chest of drawers, or it may be a piece offurniture that is built-in to a wall or another piece of furniture, suchas a bed or headboard. In addition, Those of skill in the art willrecognize that the terms “night table,” “nightstand,” and “bedsidetable” are all used within the industry as standard descriptive namesfor the same type of furniture.

Turning in detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a traytable apparatus 10 coupled to a night table 11. The tray table apparatus10 includes a stowable tray table 13 shown in the deployed position overa bed 15. In the embodiment shown, the night table 11 includes an upperstorage compartment 17 and a lower storage compartment 19, with the traytable apparatus 10 being stowed in the upper storage compartment 17. Thenight stand 11 and the upper and lower storage compartments 17 areintended to be non-limiting features of the invention, unless otherwiserecited in the claims. As such, the night stand 11, along with its upperand lower storage compartments 17, 19, and the bed 15 are shown anddescribed herein to illustrate one context, amongst the many possible,in which the tray table apparatus 10 may be used.

The tray table apparatus 10 includes a tray table support assembly 21which is coupled to and provides support for the tray table 13. The traytable apparatus 10 transitions between the deployed position and astowed position as illustrated in FIGS. 1-5. When the tray table supportassembly 21 is in the stowed position, both the tray table 13 and thetray table support assembly 21 are stowed within the upper storagecompartment 17.

The lower storage compartment 19 of the night stand 11 is shown as twodrawers in FIG. 2. In certain embodiments, the lower storage compartment19 may be one or more open shelves, one or more drawers, one or morecabinets, or any combination thereof. In addition, the lower storagecompartment 19 may be sub-divided into two or more separate storagecompartments. The lower storage compartment 19 may take any form desiredfor a particular implementation. In certain other embodiments, the lowerstorage compartment may be omitted entirely, such as in animplementation of a night table which is built-in to supported by a wallor other piece of furniture. In certain embodiments, the tray tableapparatus 10 may be coupled to other types of furniture or supportstructures, some of which may not include any separate or distinctstorage compartments.

As shown in FIG. 2, the upper storage compartment 17 of the night stand11 includes a decorative facing 23 which serves to hide the tray tableapparatus 10 stowed within the upper storage compartment 17 in thestowed position. In certain embodiments, the decorative facing 23 may beomitted. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the decorative facing 23 ispivotably affixed to a cross member 25 within the night table 11. Thedecorative facing 23 may be pivoted in the direction shown by the arrow27 to open the upper storage compartment 17, thereby giving a useraccess to the tray table apparatus 10 stowed therein. In alternativeembodiments, the decorative facing 23 may be directly affixed to thetray table support assembly 21, thereby eliminating the need to pivotthe decorative facing 23 prior to moving the tray table apparatus 10 outof the upper storage compartment 17.

The tray table support assembly 21 includes a support shelf 29 which iscoupled to the internal frame 31 of the night table 11 by drawer slides33. The drawer slides 33 enable the stowed tray table apparatus 10 toslide out of the upper storage compartment 17 in the direction shown byarrows 35. In certain embodiments, the drawer slides 33 may be anyappropriate type of mechanism which enables the tray table apparatus 10to slide out from the upper storage compartment 17. The tray tableapparatus 10 is shown in FIG. 4 in an intermediate position, outside ofthe upper storage compartment 17, during the transition between thestowed position and the deployed position. In this intermediateposition, and also in the stowed position, the tray table supportassembly 21 is in a folded position.

More particularly, on the drawer slides 33, the support shelf 29translates, relative to the night stand 11, between a refractedposition, in which the tray table support assembly 21 is in the stowedposition within the upper storage compartment 17, and an extendedposition, in which the tray table support assembly 21 is in anintermediate position, before transitioning to the deployed position.During translation of the support shelf 29 from the extended position tothe retracted position, and vice versa, the support shelf 29 travels ina plane of motion which is parallel to the pivot axes PA1, PA2, shown inFIG. 5.

The tray table apparatus 10 is shown in the deployed position in FIG. 5.The tray table support assembly 21 includes a base plate 36 affixed tothe support shelf 29 and pivot blocks 37 mounted to the base plate 36.The base plate 36 is removably affixed to the support shelf 29 bythreaded knobs 38 extending through the base plate 36 and into threadedreceptacles (shown as threaded receptacles 42 in FIG. 11B) within thesupport shelf. A support arm 39 has a first end 40 with pivot members 41pivotably coupled to the pivot blocks 37. As described in greater detailbelow, the base plate 36 may be coupled to the support shelf 29 tocreate one of two possible states for the tray table apparatus 21. Inthe first state of the tray table apparatus 21, the base plate 36 iscoupled to the support shelf 29 in a first position so that the pivotblocks 37 form a first pivot axis PA1, and in the second state of thetray table apparatus 21, the base plate 36 is coupled to the supportshelf 29 in a second position so that the pivot blocks 37 form a secondpivot axis PA2. As shown in FIG. 5, the base plate 36 is coupled to thesupport shelf 29 in the second position.

In the embodiment shown, the pivot members 41 form sides of the supportarm 39, and each pivot member 41 is positioned orthogonal to the pivotaxis PA2. In certain embodiments, the support arm 39 may include atleast one pivot member, and the at least one pivot member may bepositioned at any angle to the pivot axis PA so as to allow the pivotmotion when the tray table apparatus 10 transitions from the stowedposition to the deployed position and vice versa.

With the pivot members 41 pivotably affixed to the pivot blocks 37, thesupport arm 39 is able to pivot with respect to the support shelf 29 fortransitioning the tray table apparatus 10 between the intermediateposition and the deployed position. As is discussed in greater detailbelow, the support arm 39 is also pivotably coupled to the tray table13, so that when the support arm 39 moves during the transition betweenthe intermediate position and the deployed position (as shown by arrow45), the tray table 13 simultaneously can be pivoted with respect to thesupport arm 39. The tray table support assembly 21 also includes supportblocks 47 secured into threaded receptacles (shown as threadedreceptacles 44 in FIG. 11B), and the support blocks 47 serve to supportthe tray table 13 when the tray table apparatus 10 is in the stowedposition or in the intermediate position.

The threaded receptacles used to secure the base plate 36 to the supportshelf 29 and the threaded receptacles used to secure the support blocks47 to the support shelf 29 are symmetrically located about a lateralcenterline CL1 and a longitudinal centerline CL2 of the support shelf29. Symmetric placement of the respective threaded receptacles, alongwith the threaded knobs 38 used to secure the base plate 36 to thesupport shelf 29 allows the base plate 36 to be secured to either sideof the support shelf 29. This configuration also permits the user toeasily and quickly reconfigure the tray table apparatus 10 to be used ina deployed position with the tray table 13 extended out on either sideof the tray table support assembly 21 (as is shown in FIG. 11A). Thisprovides the tray table apparatus 10 with easy symmetricalreconfigurability, such that the two optional deployed positions for thetray table apparatus 10 are symmetrical about the lateral centerline CL1of the support shelf 29.

With the support blocks 47 in place, when the tray table apparatus 10 isin the stowed position or in the intermediate position, the tray table13 and the support shelf 29, and the support arm 39 are positioned in aplurality of parallel planes, with a first plane defined by the traytable 13, a second plane defined by the support shelf 29, and a thirdplane defined by the support arm 39. In certain embodiments, the supportblocks 47 may include resilient caps 48 to aid in reducing wear and tearon the underside of the tray table 13 when the tray table apparatus 10is in the stowed position or in the intermediate position.

The tray table support assembly 21 also includes a pivot stop 49, as isshown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In the embodiment shown, the pivot stop 49 is ascrew element 51 coupled to a knob 53. The screw element 51 is securedinto a threaded receptacle 55 included as part of the base plate 36,with the handle extending above the top surface 57 of the base plate 36.The support arm 39 includes a cross member 59 extending between the twopivot members 41, and the cross member 59 is positioned such that whenthe tray table support assembly 21 is in the deployed position, thecross member 59 comes into contact with the knob 53. Rotation of thescrew element 51 adjusts the height of the knob 53 above the top surface57 of the base plate 36. With this configuration, the knob 53 may have aselected adjustment position which serves to limit the pivot motion ofthe support arm 39. The pivot motion of the support arm 39 is limited toa pivot angle α with respect to the plane of the base plate 36. In thedeployed position, the pivot angle α determines an angle of inclinationformed between the support arm 39 and the support shelf 29. Thus, theheight of the knob 53 above the top surface 57 of the base plate 36therefore serves to determine the height of one side of the tray table13, e.g., the height of the one side of the tray table 13 above the bed,when the tray table support assembly 21 is in the deployed position. Asdescribed below, the height of other side of the tray table 13 isdetermined by a telescoping leg.

The bottom surface 61 of the tray table 13 is shown in FIG. 7. A traypivot block 63 is mounted to the bottom surface 61 adjacent a first end65 of the tray table 13. The tray pivot block 63 couples with a pivotmember 67 of the support arm 39 to pivotably couple the support arm 39to the tray table 13. The pivot member 67 extends along a longitudinalaxis LA, and the tray pivot block 63 is movable by sliding along thelongitudinal axis LA. In terms of the tray table 13 being placed over abed, the sliding of the tray table 13, with respect to the support arm39, means that the tray table may be moved toward and away from thefoot/head of the bed. The support arm 39 includes an indent 69 atroughly a middle portion thereof to mark a centered position for thetray table 13. As is shown in FIG. 8, the tray pivot block 63 includes athrough hole 73 for receiving the pivot member 67 of the support arm 39.Within the through hole 73, the tray pivot block 63 houses a biased ballassembly 75 within a recess 77. The biased ball assembly 75 includes aball 79 biased by a spring 81 toward the center of the through hole 73,so that when the tray table 13 slides along the longitudinal axis LA,the biased ball 77 slightly catches within the indent 69 to alert theuser that the tray table 13 is at the centered position. By enabling theuser to more easily identify the centered position of the tray table 13,it is easier for the user to transition the tray table apparatus 10 fromthe deployed position to the stowed position and vice versa.

A support leg 85 is mounted adjacent and pivotably coupled to the bottomsurface 61 adjacent the second end 87 of the tray table 13. A leg clip89 is also mounted to the bottom surface 61 of the tray table 13. Thesupport leg 85 is pivotable from a position parallel with the bottomsurface 61 of the tray table 13 to a position that is orthogonal to thebottom surface 61. In the parallel position, the leg clip 89 engages thesupport leg 85 and secures support leg 85 to the bottom surface 61 ofthe tray table 13. In order to transition the tray table apparatus 10into the stowed position from the deployed position, the support leg 85is engaged with the leg clip 89 in the parallel position. When the traytable apparatus 10 is in the deployed position, the support leg 85 maybe pivoted to the orthogonal position so that the support leg 85 canrest on the bed to provide additional stability and support to the traytable 13.

As shown in FIG. 9, the support leg 85 is telescoping and includes afirst leg segment 91 and a second leg segment 93, with the second legsegment 93 being movable along the leg axis A1 relative to the first legsegment 91. The support leg 85 may also include an appropriate lockingmechanism, such as a clamp, a thumb screw, or the like, to secure therelative positions of the first and second leg segments 91, 93. Bymoving the second leg segment 93 along the leg axis A1, the support leg85 is adjustable in length so that the second end 87 of the tray table13 may be set at a desired height by a user.

A handle 101 is affixed to the second end 87 of the tray table 13, as isshown in FIGS. 7 and 10. The handle 101 is mounted to the second end 87of the tray table 13 with pivot brackets 103 which permit the handle 101to pivot with respect to the tray table 13 and allow gravity to providea downward bias to the pivot position of the handle 101. With the handle101 configured in this manner, it facilitates transitioning the traytable apparatus 10 from the intermediate position to the deployedposition, and at the same time, the handle 101 automatically hangs outof the way for placing the tray table apparatus 10 in the stowedposition. Having the handle 101 positioned on the side of the tray table13 makes it particularly easier for a user lying in a bed to transitionthe tray table apparatus 10 from the intermediate position to thedeployed position.

It will be appreciated that the tray table apparatus 10 may be coupledto any support structure other than a night stand or furniture. Forexample, in certain embodiments, the tray table apparatus 10 may becoupled to a cart with wheels to provide a deployable tray table thatmay be used in any convenient circumstances. It will also be appreciatedthat the tray table apparatus 10 may be used in other circumstanceswhich are not adjacent a bed. In addition, in certain embodiments thetray table apparatus 10 may be coupled to a support structure which mayor may not include a storage compartment for stowing the tray tableapparatus 10. In such embodiments without a storage compartment, thestowed position and the intermediate position of the tray tableapparatus 10 may be one and the same position. In certain embodiments,such as one in which a storage compartment which opens from above thetray table apparatus 10, instead of opening from on the side, is usedfor the stowing the tray table apparatus 10, the tray table apparatus 10may have no intermediate position, instead transitioning directly fromthe stowed position to the deployed position. In most embodiments, theability to quickly and easily symmetrically reconfigure the deployedposition of the tray table support assembly is anticipated to provide aversatility that is heretofore not seen in the prior art.

FIG. 11A shows the reconfigurability of the tray table apparatus 10. Thesupport shelf 29 of the tray table support assembly 21 includes two pairof pivot axes PA1, PA2, each representing the positions of the pivotblocks 37 for each of the two deployment configurations. The pivot axesPA1, PA2 are equidistant from the lateral centerline CL1 of the supportshelf 29. To reconfigure the tray table apparatus 10, the base plate 36is released from the first side 95 of the support shelf 29 by releasingthe threaded knobs 38 from the support shelf 29 and affixing the baseplate 36, along with the coupled pivot blocks 37, support arm 39, andthe tray table 13, to the second side 97 of the support shelf 29. Thus,as shown and described, the tray table support assembly 21 may be easilyand quickly reconfigured from one of the deployed positions to theother, such as, for example, to be used with a bed positioned on eitherside of the night table 11.

Described another way, as part of the reconfiguration, the support arm39 is alterable between a first state and a second state. In the firststate, the first end 40 of the support arm 39 is pivotably coupled tothe support shelf 21 so as to be pivotable about a the pivot axis PA2between a first folded position and a first unfolded position in whichthe support arm 39 extends in a first inclined orientation such that thesecond end 66 of the support arm 39 is located laterally beyond thefirst edge 96 of the support shelf 29. In the second state, the firstend 40 of the support arm 39 is pivotably coupled to the support shelf21 so as to be pivotable about a the pivot axis PA1 between a secondfolded position and a second unfolded position in which the support arm39 extends in a second inclined orientation such that the second end 66of the support arm 39 is located laterally beyond the second edge 98 ofthe support shelf. Comparing the first state and the second state of thesupport arm 39, the first folded state of the support arm 39 issymmetrical about the lateral centerline CL1 of the support shelf 29with the second folded state of the support arm 39. Similarly, the firstextended position of the support arm 39 is symmetrical about the lateralcenterline CL1 of the support shelf 29 with the second extended positionof the support arm 39.

A second embodiment of a tray table apparatus 110, again shown incontext coupled to a night table 111, is illustrated in FIG. 12. Thisnight table 111 also includes a lower storage compartment 113 and anupper storage compartment 115. As with other embodiments of the traytable apparatus 110 described herein, the tray table apparatus 110 maybe coupled to any structural support other than a night stand orfurniture. The tray table apparatus 110 includes a tray table 117 and atray table support assembly 119. As will be appreciated, one or more ofthe features described above for the tray table apparatus 10 may beincorporated into the tray table apparatus 110 as desired. The traytable apparatus 110 is shown in the deployed position, and the traytable apparatus 110 may be transitioned to a stowed position to bestowed within the upper storage compartment 113. The tray table supportassembly 119 includes a support shelf 121 which includes two pair ofpivot blocks 123, 125, each pair defining a pivot axis PA1, PA2. Thepivot axes PA1, PA2 are parallel to each other and equidistantly spacedapart on opposite sides of the lateral centerline CL1 of the supportshelf 121. The support arm 127 of the tray table support assembly 119 ispivotably coupled to the tray table 117 and to one of the two pair ofpivot blocks 123, 125, so that the support arm 127 pivots, with respectto the support shelf 121, along one of the two pivot axes PA1, PA2. Asshown, the pivot member 131 of the support arm 127 is coupled to thefirst pair of pivot blocks 123, and the coupling is achieved with aremovable fastener, such as a locking pin, a thumb screw, a screwelement with a knob on one end, or the like, so that the support arm 127may be easily and quickly removed from the first pair of pivot blocks123 and pivotably coupled to the second pair of pivot blocks 125. Indoing so, the tray table apparatus 110 may be easily and quicklyreconfigured, such as, for example, to be used with a bed positioned oneither side of the night table 111. The tray table apparatus 110 istherefore provided with easy symmetrical reconfigurability, such thatthe two available deployed positions of the tray table apparatus 110,one when the support arm 127 is pivotably coupled to the first pair ofpivot blocks 123 and the other when the support arm 127 is pivotablycoupled to the second pair of pivot blocks 125, are symmetrical aboutthe lateral centerline CL1 of the support shelf 121.

The tray table support assembly 119 also includes a pivot stop 133 whichis affixed to the pivot member 131 of the support arm 127, as is shownin FIG. 13. The pivot stop 133 includes a plate 135 which is affixed toand rotates with the pivot member 131, and the plate 135 includes athreaded hole 137 therethrough. A screw element 139 is engaged with thethreaded hole 137, such that a length L of the screw element extendsentirely through the plate 135 to extend outward from both sides. A knob141 is coupled to the screw element 139 on one side of the plate 135 tofacilitate rotation of the screw element 139 by a user. The end of thescrew element 139 extending from the plate 135 on the opposite side asthe knob 141 is positioned to abut against the support shelf 121. Withthis configuration, the screw element 139 serves to limit the pivotmotion of the support arm 127. Rotation of the knob 141 adjusts thelength L of the screw element 139 extending beyond the bottom edge ofthe plate 135, such that the length L of the screw element 139 serves todetermine the height of the tray table 117, e.g., the height of the traytable 117 above the bed, when the tray table support assembly 119 is inthe deployed position.

While the invention has been described with respect to specific examplesincluding presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variationsand permutations of the above described systems and techniques. It is tobe understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural andfunctional modifications may be made without departing from the scope ofthe present invention. Thus, the spirit and scope of the inventionshould be construed broadly as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A tray table apparatus comprising: a tray table;and a tray table support assembly coupled to the tray table, the traytable and the tray table support assembly configured to transitionbetween a stowed position and a deployed position, the tray tablesupport assembly comprising: a support shelf; a support arm having afirst end pivotably coupled to the support shelf so as to be pivotableabout a first pivot axis and a second end, the tray table pivotablycoupled to the second end of the support arm so as to be pivotable abouta tray table pivot axis; and an adjustable pivot stop positioned tolimit pivot movement of the support arm about the first pivot axis inthe deployed position, such that a selected adjustment position of theadjustable pivot stop determines an angle of inclination formed betweenthe support arm and the support shelf; wherein the adjustable pivot stophas an infinite number of adjustment positions.
 2. The tray tableapparatus of claim 1, the tray table support assembly further comprisinga tray pivot block pivotably coupling the second end of the support armto the tray table, wherein the tray pivot block and tray table aretranslatable, relative to the support arm, in a direction parallel tothe tray table pivot axis.
 3. The tray table apparatus of claim 2,wherein: the second end of the support arm includes a pivot memberpivotably coupled to the tray pivot block, the pivot member having anindent at a centered position of the support arm; and the tray pivotblock includes a biased ball assembly positioned to engage the indentwhen the tray table is in the centered position with respect to thesupport arm.
 4. The tray table apparatus of claim 1, wherein in thestowed position, the support shelf, the support arm, and the tray tableare positioned in a plurality of parallel planes.
 5. The tray tableapparatus of claim 1, the tray table support assembly further comprisinga support leg pivotably coupled to a bottom surface of the tray table;wherein the support leg is configured to be adjustable in length.
 6. Thetray table apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adjustable pivot stopcomprises a screw element coupled to a knob.
 7. The tray table apparatusof claim 6, wherein the screw element threadedly engages a threadedreceptacle secured to the support shelf.
 8. The tray table apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein a handle is affixed to an end of the tray table, thehandle configured to be pivotable and gravity biased.
 9. The tray tableapparatus of claim 1, wherein the adjustable pivot stop is movable in avertical direction.
 10. A tray table apparatus comprising: a supportstructure; a tray table; a tray table support assembly coupled to thetray table and mounted to the support structure, the tray table and thetray table support assembly configured to transition between a stowedposition and a deployed position, the tray table support assemblycomprising: a support shelf having a first end and a second end oppositethe first end; and a support arm having a first end and a second end,the tray table pivotably coupled to the second end of the support arm soas to be pivotable about a tray table pivot axis; wherein the supportarm is alterable between: (1) a first state in which the first end ofthe support arm is pivotably coupled to the support shelf so as to bepivotable about a first pivot axis between a first folded position inwhich the support arm lies atop the support shelf and a first unfoldedposition in which the support arm extends in a first inclinedorientation such that the second end of the support arm is locatedlaterally beyond the first end of the support shelf; and (2) a secondstate in which the first end of the support arm is pivotably coupled tothe support shelf so as to be pivotable about a second pivot axisbetween a second folded position in which the support arm lies atop thesupport shelf and a second unfolded position in which the support armextends in a second inclined orientation such that the second end of thesupport arm is located laterally beyond the second edge end of thesupport shelf.
 11. The tray table apparatus of claim 10, wherein thefirst pivot axis and the second pivot axis are spaced from one anotherand parallel to one another.
 12. The tray table apparatus of claim 10,wherein the support shelf has a lateral centerline, the first pivot axislocated on a first side of the lateral centerline and the second pivotaxis located on a second side of the lateral centerline opposite thefirst side of the lateral centerline.
 13. The tray table apparatus ofclaim 10, wherein the tray table support assembly further comprises abase plate that is detachably coupled to the support shelf, the firstend of the support arm pivotably coupled to the base plate; and wherein:(1) in the first state, the base plate is detachably coupled to thesupport shelf at a first location; and (2) in the second state, the baseplate is detachably coupled to the support shelf at a second locationthat is different than the first location.
 14. The tray table apparatusof claim 10, wherein (1) in the first state, the first pivot axis isfixed relative to the support shelf; and (2) in the second state, thesecond pivot axis is fixed relative to the support shelf.
 15. The traytable apparatus of claim 10, wherein the support shelf is mounted to thesupport structure so as to be translatable, relative to the supportstructure, between: (1) an extended position; and (2) a retractedposition.
 16. The tray table apparatus of claim 10, wherein the supportshelf travels in a plane of motion during alteration between theextended and retracted positions, the plane of motion being parallel tothe first and second pivot axes.
 17. A tray table apparatus comprising:a tray table; and a tray table support assembly coupled to the traytable, the tray table and the tray table support assembly configured totransition between a stowed position and a deployed position, the traytable support assembly comprising: a support shelf; a support arm havinga first end pivotably coupled to the support shelf so as to be pivotableabout a first pivot axis and a second end, the tray table pivotablycoupled to the second end of the support arm so as to be pivotable abouta tray table pivot axis; and a tray pivot block pivotably coupling thesecond end of the support arm to the tray table, wherein the tray pivotblock and tray table are translatable, relative to the support arm, in adirection parallel to the tray table pivot axis.
 18. The tray tableapparatus of claim 17, wherein: the second end of the support armincludes a pivot member pivotably coupled to the tray pivot block, thepivot member having an indent at a centered position of the support arm;and the tray pivot block includes a biased ball assembly positioned toengage the indent when the tray table is in the centered position withrespect to the support arm.
 19. The tray table apparatus of claim 17,the tray table comprising a first end and a second end, the first end ofthe tray table pivotably coupled to the second end of the support arm,and the tray table support assembly further comprising a support legpivotably coupled to a bottom surface at the second end of the traytable, wherein the support leg is configured to be adjustable in length.20. The tray table apparatus of claim 19, wherein in the stowedposition, the support shelf, the support arm, the tray table, and thesupport leg are positioned in a plurality of parallel planes.